Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Earlier this week we spoke to Long Term Territory and
Bead about rockspand thrown at one of his trucks on
Monday night outside Catherine. That rock shattered the windscreen of
the truck, with the shattered glass all over the cabin
of the truck. It was a dangerous situation and we've
heard that it is far from isolated. We then spoke
to the Northern Territory Police yesterday they confirmed there'd been
(00:22):
eleven incidents over the last couple of weeks. Now joining
me on the line is Nick. He's the manager of
Road Trains of Australia. Nick Verka is his name.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Good morning Nick, Morning Catty, how are you?
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Really good mate, Thanks for joining us this morning.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Nick. I know this issue with rocksband thrown, it's far
from isolated, is it Isn't that?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Yeah, it happens through It happens more often than you think. Obviously,
we haven't had an incident as as bad as beads.
You know, I've seen the photos. We've had rocks thrown,
a truck's going through Catherine, Tane Creek, Alice Springs and
you know you do all the right things. Ring the ring,
(01:06):
the police, and I understand everyone's busy, but you know
we never hear back and it's you know, it's generally
not time. So you've got you've got kids who are
board and that's where it comes from.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
And it's it's so dangerous. I mean, you'd messaged me
earlier in the week and you said that you guys
are transporting livestock as well, which brings a whole other
element to it.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Yeah, business is is livestock transport. So you know you've
not only got you know, he's throwing rocks at trucks,
and and you know we've got dints inside of prime murders.
And then obviously all they're not the best aim so
they'd be probably hitting the hitting the cargo in the
back as well, which is which is disgraceful.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
It is disgraceful. And I mean there's like, there's so many.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Aspects to this that there'll be firing people up. I
think listening this morning, you know, you think to yourself,
you're talking about kids. I don't understand how anyone thinks
it's fun to throw rocks at a vehicle, at a truck,
no matter you know who it is or what's going on.
But you know, when you're driving and you're you're transporting
(02:18):
something like livestock, we're like, we're talking massive vehicles here,
aren't we.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Oh yeah, you know when we're loader, we're one hundred
and one hundred and thirty tons, So you know, you've
you've got a big weight and you know, driver's got
a big responsibility. And also it's not just that you know,
our drivers, our trucks are set up, they live in them,
so that's their home. You know, they leave they leave
here at Nunamar or leave at Catherine from the depot.
Some of them don't come home for three months, two months,
(02:44):
just depends on where the work goes. So it's not
only you know, and the drivers look after their look
after their machinery. So so it's you know, it's not
just it's not just throwing stones. Potentially, obviously the greater
at risk is that this can be a catastrophic accident.
So you know, the rock comes through a side window
(03:05):
and hits the driver, Well, and you're moving, doesn't mean
if you're going forty or if you're doing one hundred
and that driver is injured, well there's going to be
there's going to be drama.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
Yeah, Nick, tell me, I mean you touched on this before.
You've reported incidents to police, but you've not had follow up.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
No, I haven't had any follow up. No, I've of
each time the boys ring me in, let me know,
I ring straight away.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
And you know your system's under pressure. We all know that.
But surely there'll be a note somewhere. You get given,
you get given the file number, so you just just
wonder why, wonder why I don't even hear you know,
just be nice to just get a return call.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Absolutely, tell me Nick.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
For you guys in recent weeks, obviously we spoke to
bed the police. Have seed there was eleven incidents over
the last couple of weeks. Have your like, Have your
drivers over the last couple of weeks had rocks thrown
at them outside.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Of Catherine yeatting Catherine, We have them actually thrown at
us in the main street in seat of I'm not
sure if you're familiar with Catherine, but in the main
street you've got there's the old service station in the
middle on the left hand side of heading north at
the coffee club. We had we had two trucks go
through there the other night who had rocks train at them.
If that was in Catherine, then about similar time in
(04:24):
TenneT Creek the truck was going through TenneT Creek North
and just on the north side of town he got
rocked as well. But it's not isolated to those three
towns either, Like Creek fitture A Crossing we have Trump
we have troubled there as well. So it's all what's
the solution. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
I don't know, I believen.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Yesterday though, when we were speaking to Louise Blato about
the issue, she said, you know, Katie, is it getting
to the point where they're going to need a police
aescort or a security escort to get you know, in
and out of Catherine.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Like we're talking about our.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Main sort of freight, whether it's lives, whether it's other freight,
you know, and not only like, not only that, not
only the transportation and the logistics of getting those things
around Australia, but then like you've rightly touched on the
safety of those drivers and it's your livelihood then, you know,
and if your truck gets damaged, I can't even begin
(05:20):
to imagine the impact, the flow on impact that that
has in so many ways.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Yeah, I don't think you know, obviously escorts and stuff.
I think the core, the core problem is that you've
got kids in towns and the board. So it has
to come back to, you know, the core issue. And
you know, yes, picking up a rock and throwing a rock,
you know, the perpetrator should be dealt with, but there
(05:48):
is there's more behind that. So you've got the core problem,
isn't The core problem is the kids throwing rocks. It's
why they do it because they've got the board during
the day and then no time they you know, to
get a kick out of it, not understanding the ramification.
So I think I think, you know, there's got to
be a look into certain departments and where you know,
(06:10):
there's all these different community patrol groups and corporations and
where a lot of money goes to. I just want
to where is that money being well spent in those
areas and making sure that eventually these kids led on
the right path.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Yeah, good point.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
If kids are board at home, or they're not safe
at home, or they're not going to go home, so
so then yeah, I think I think it's got to
be looked beyond just throwing the rocks. It's going to
be it's going to be further back.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
No, I think it's a good point Nick, Before I
let you go, mate, we've been talking quite a bit
over the recent days and I know the NT News
has been covering this as part of their Bush summit.
But the state of some of the roads around the place,
some of those highways, how are things looking from your perspective?
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Well, if you want the truth, the roads a ship house.
Excuse my language, but there is twenty years ago you
drive into the Northern Territory and you had some of
the best roads in Australia and today some of the
roads that we drive on, you know, as a business,
just for the Northern Territory, we pay close to seven
(07:20):
thousand dollars a year registration and you know that's to
have and that's you know, road worthy trucks and trailers
and all the gear that comes with it. But the
roads that we drive on are not roadworthy. So for
our damage trucks and trailers, should we be sending invoices
(07:40):
to you know, to the roads department to fix a
gear that gets broken because of their roads. But there's
there's roads that we use which are critical to to
the beef industry. Tablelands Highway, the Buchanan Highway, Stuart Highway
in parts, the Victoria Highway in parts, all these key
(08:01):
roads which which which link the cattle travel on to
get the market, some of them. At the moment, I've
actually had trucks loads this morning which were meant to
go from Top Springs across the Duma and then onto
onto Queensland. We've had to come around by a castine,
which is it puts an extra four and a klometer
(08:22):
them on the trip. Because the road, the road between
Top Springs and d Mar you know, informally known in
the transport groups, is called the Maringai. Well it's it's
it's on the verge of being impassible. Wow. The cost
of the cost of us going across there and and
the damage it causes to our gears, it's better to
(08:45):
go around. And that's terrible shame, which obviously had to
flow and effect to our customers have to pay more
because we charged by the kilometer. There's a flow and
effect for that.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Yeah. Look, I mean that's like, that's pretty terrible to hear.
And then, like you said, four hundred extra k's onto
each and the flow on I mean, what is your
message for the nt and the federal governments on these roads, well.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
The message'll be to come and have a look. You know,
it's all, it's all. It's all good sitting in town
and making decisions on maps. But I think you're going
to come out and have a look with industry and
get us out there with you, and we'll show you.
You know, there's a lot of talk at the moment
about chest beating about you know, stealing the tantamine, stealing
(09:27):
the Plenty Highway and all these other roads, which is great,
that's that's long term, fantastic, But how about we fix
what we've got first, and you know we're just there's
band aid solutions. You know. The the running joke in
the transport industries they put these little triangle signs up
next to where there's a pothole, and that triangle sit
(09:47):
there for twelve or eight eight months before they come
and repair the road. Wow, the NTG just gone past
again to fix another pothole. So it's got to.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
Get it sorted. There's got to be sous.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Yeah, and it's not just for what it's not just not
just lifet or trucks. It's all trucks. These machines we
drive on the road worth a lot of money and
we're self destructing going across some of these roads and
no one, no one gives us a hand to pay
for the repairs. But we're expected to have roadworthy gears,
so you know, it's a bit of a catch, you know. Yeah,
(10:22):
it's an odd.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
One, it is, well, Nick, mate, I really appreciate you
having a chat to us, so I think it gives
people a bit of perspective as well. And you know,
for those of us that aren't traveling those roads every day,
we've got no idea. So I think that message is
really actually a really good one, even to our police.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
If you get out there, go out there with you guys.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
And have a look and see what it is actually like,
well it gives them a much better understanding of what
work is required.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Yeah, yeah, exactly. I think he's just think through is
getting with us or jumping the truck with us, or
jumping the ut and go for the look. It's you know,
it's pretty it's pretty.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Ordinary, Nick, Really good to talk to you this morning, mate.
Thank you very much for your.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Time, no worries at all, Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
We'll talk again. Soon
Earlier this week we spoke to Long Term Territory and
Bead about rockspand thrown at one of his trucks on
Monday night outside Catherine. That rock shattered the windscreen of
the truck, with the shattered glass all over the cabin
of the truck. It was a dangerous situation and we've
heard that it is far from isolated. We then spoke
to the Northern Territory Police yesterday they confirmed there'd been
(00:22):
eleven incidents over the last couple of weeks. Now joining
me on the line is Nick. He's the manager of
Road Trains of Australia. Nick Verka is his name.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Good morning Nick, Morning Catty, how are you?
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Really good mate, Thanks for joining us this morning.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Nick. I know this issue with rocksband thrown, it's far
from isolated, is it Isn't that?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Yeah, it happens through It happens more often than you think. Obviously,
we haven't had an incident as as bad as beads.
You know, I've seen the photos. We've had rocks thrown,
a truck's going through Catherine, Tane Creek, Alice Springs and
you know you do all the right things. Ring the ring,
(01:06):
the police, and I understand everyone's busy, but you know
we never hear back and it's you know, it's generally
not time. So you've got you've got kids who are
board and that's where it comes from.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
And it's it's so dangerous. I mean, you'd messaged me
earlier in the week and you said that you guys
are transporting livestock as well, which brings a whole other
element to it.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Yeah, business is is livestock transport. So you know you've
not only got you know, he's throwing rocks at trucks,
and and you know we've got dints inside of prime murders.
And then obviously all they're not the best aim so
they'd be probably hitting the hitting the cargo in the
back as well, which is which is disgraceful.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
It is disgraceful. And I mean there's like, there's so many.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Aspects to this that there'll be firing people up. I
think listening this morning, you know, you think to yourself,
you're talking about kids. I don't understand how anyone thinks
it's fun to throw rocks at a vehicle, at a truck,
no matter you know who it is or what's going on.
But you know, when you're driving and you're you're transporting
(02:18):
something like livestock, we're like, we're talking massive vehicles here,
aren't we.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Oh yeah, you know when we're loader, we're one hundred
and one hundred and thirty tons, So you know, you've
you've got a big weight and you know, driver's got
a big responsibility. And also it's not just that you know,
our drivers, our trucks are set up, they live in them,
so that's their home. You know, they leave they leave
here at Nunamar or leave at Catherine from the depot.
Some of them don't come home for three months, two months,
(02:44):
just depends on where the work goes. So it's not
only you know, and the drivers look after their look
after their machinery. So so it's you know, it's not
just it's not just throwing stones. Potentially, obviously the greater
at risk is that this can be a catastrophic accident.
So you know, the rock comes through a side window
(03:05):
and hits the driver, Well, and you're moving, doesn't mean
if you're going forty or if you're doing one hundred
and that driver is injured, well there's going to be
there's going to be drama.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
Yeah, Nick, tell me, I mean you touched on this before.
You've reported incidents to police, but you've not had follow up.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
No, I haven't had any follow up. No, I've of
each time the boys ring me in, let me know,
I ring straight away.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
And you know your system's under pressure. We all know that.
But surely there'll be a note somewhere. You get given,
you get given the file number, so you just just
wonder why, wonder why I don't even hear you know,
just be nice to just get a return call.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Absolutely, tell me Nick.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
For you guys in recent weeks, obviously we spoke to
bed the police. Have seed there was eleven incidents over
the last couple of weeks. Have your like, Have your
drivers over the last couple of weeks had rocks thrown
at them outside.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Of Catherine yeatting Catherine, We have them actually thrown at
us in the main street in seat of I'm not
sure if you're familiar with Catherine, but in the main
street you've got there's the old service station in the
middle on the left hand side of heading north at
the coffee club. We had we had two trucks go
through there the other night who had rocks train at them.
If that was in Catherine, then about similar time in
(04:24):
TenneT Creek the truck was going through TenneT Creek North
and just on the north side of town he got
rocked as well. But it's not isolated to those three
towns either, Like Creek fitture A Crossing we have Trump
we have troubled there as well. So it's all what's
the solution. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
I don't know, I believen.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Yesterday though, when we were speaking to Louise Blato about
the issue, she said, you know, Katie, is it getting
to the point where they're going to need a police
aescort or a security escort to get you know, in
and out of Catherine.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Like we're talking about our.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Main sort of freight, whether it's lives, whether it's other freight,
you know, and not only like, not only that, not
only the transportation and the logistics of getting those things
around Australia, but then like you've rightly touched on the
safety of those drivers and it's your livelihood then, you know,
and if your truck gets damaged, I can't even begin
(05:20):
to imagine the impact, the flow on impact that that
has in so many ways.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Yeah, I don't think you know, obviously escorts and stuff.
I think the core, the core problem is that you've
got kids in towns and the board. So it has
to come back to, you know, the core issue. And
you know, yes, picking up a rock and throwing a rock,
you know, the perpetrator should be dealt with, but there
(05:48):
is there's more behind that. So you've got the core problem,
isn't The core problem is the kids throwing rocks. It's
why they do it because they've got the board during
the day and then no time they you know, to
get a kick out of it, not understanding the ramification.
So I think I think, you know, there's got to
be a look into certain departments and where you know,
(06:10):
there's all these different community patrol groups and corporations and
where a lot of money goes to. I just want
to where is that money being well spent in those
areas and making sure that eventually these kids led on
the right path.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Yeah, good point.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
If kids are board at home, or they're not safe
at home, or they're not going to go home, so
so then yeah, I think I think it's got to
be looked beyond just throwing the rocks. It's going to
be it's going to be further back.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
No, I think it's a good point Nick, Before I
let you go, mate, we've been talking quite a bit
over the recent days and I know the NT News
has been covering this as part of their Bush summit.
But the state of some of the roads around the place,
some of those highways, how are things looking from your perspective?
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Well, if you want the truth, the roads a ship house.
Excuse my language, but there is twenty years ago you
drive into the Northern Territory and you had some of
the best roads in Australia and today some of the
roads that we drive on, you know, as a business,
just for the Northern Territory, we pay close to seven
(07:20):
thousand dollars a year registration and you know that's to
have and that's you know, road worthy trucks and trailers
and all the gear that comes with it. But the
roads that we drive on are not roadworthy. So for
our damage trucks and trailers, should we be sending invoices
(07:40):
to you know, to the roads department to fix a
gear that gets broken because of their roads. But there's
there's roads that we use which are critical to to
the beef industry. Tablelands Highway, the Buchanan Highway, Stuart Highway
in parts, the Victoria Highway in parts, all these key
(08:01):
roads which which which link the cattle travel on to
get the market, some of them. At the moment, I've
actually had trucks loads this morning which were meant to
go from Top Springs across the Duma and then onto
onto Queensland. We've had to come around by a castine,
which is it puts an extra four and a klometer
(08:22):
them on the trip. Because the road, the road between
Top Springs and d Mar you know, informally known in
the transport groups, is called the Maringai. Well it's it's
it's on the verge of being impassible. Wow. The cost
of the cost of us going across there and and
the damage it causes to our gears, it's better to
(08:45):
go around. And that's terrible shame, which obviously had to
flow and effect to our customers have to pay more
because we charged by the kilometer. There's a flow and
effect for that.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Yeah. Look, I mean that's like, that's pretty terrible to hear.
And then, like you said, four hundred extra k's onto
each and the flow on I mean, what is your
message for the nt and the federal governments on these roads, well.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
The message'll be to come and have a look. You know,
it's all, it's all. It's all good sitting in town
and making decisions on maps. But I think you're going
to come out and have a look with industry and
get us out there with you, and we'll show you.
You know, there's a lot of talk at the moment
about chest beating about you know, stealing the tantamine, stealing
(09:27):
the Plenty Highway and all these other roads, which is great,
that's that's long term, fantastic, But how about we fix
what we've got first, and you know we're just there's
band aid solutions. You know. The the running joke in
the transport industries they put these little triangle signs up
next to where there's a pothole, and that triangle sit
(09:47):
there for twelve or eight eight months before they come
and repair the road. Wow, the NTG just gone past
again to fix another pothole. So it's got to.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
Get it sorted. There's got to be sous.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Yeah, and it's not just for what it's not just not
just lifet or trucks. It's all trucks. These machines we
drive on the road worth a lot of money and
we're self destructing going across some of these roads and
no one, no one gives us a hand to pay
for the repairs. But we're expected to have roadworthy gears,
so you know, it's a bit of a catch, you know. Yeah,
(10:22):
it's an odd.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
One, it is, well, Nick, mate, I really appreciate you
having a chat to us, so I think it gives
people a bit of perspective as well. And you know,
for those of us that aren't traveling those roads every day,
we've got no idea. So I think that message is
really actually a really good one, even to our police.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
If you get out there, go out there with you guys.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
And have a look and see what it is actually like,
well it gives them a much better understanding of what
work is required.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Yeah, yeah, exactly. I think he's just think through is
getting with us or jumping the truck with us, or
jumping the ut and go for the look. It's you know,
it's pretty it's pretty.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Ordinary, Nick, Really good to talk to you this morning, mate.
Thank you very much for your.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Time, no worries at all, Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
We'll talk again. Soon
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